Table of Contents
Environmental Issues Economy Engineering Policy and Research Issues Transportation Events and Open Meetings

Environmental Issues


Review of the Draft Research and Restoration Plan for Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (Western Alaska) Salmon

Declines in the abundance of salmon in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) region of western Alaska in the late 1990s and early 2000s created hardships for the people and communities who depend on this resource. Based on recommendations from a 2004 National Academies report, the AYK Sustainable Salmon Initiative developed a research and restoration plan to help (a) understand the reasons for this decline and (b) support sustainable management in the region. This report reviews the draft plan, recommending improvements in the relationship between the underlying model and the research questions, as well as a clearer discussion of local and traditional knowledge and capacity building.

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Economy


Academies Presidents "Applaud American Competitiveness Initiative"

Proposals by President George W. Bush in his 2006 State of the Union address to improve training of science teachers, increase federal funding for basic research, and enhance the climate for private investment in R&D are "necessary to preserve America’s high standard of living and its national and economic security," says a statement from the presidents of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. The Bush administration’s proposals embrace many of the findings in the Academies’ recent report "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future."

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Engineering


Recipients of 2006 Engineering Honors Announced

The National Academy of Engineering has announced the recipients of two $500,000 prizes. Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith will share the Charles Stark Draper Prize for the Charge-Coupled Device, a key component of many imaging technologies. Jens E. Jorgensen, John S. Lamancusa, Lueny Morell, Allen L. Soyster, and Jose Zayas-Castro will receive the Bernard M. Gordon Prize for the Learning Factory, an undergraduate educational program tackling real-world engineering challenges.

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Policy and Research Issues


Global Effort Needed to Combat Misuse of Biomedical Advances

Vigilance among the world's scientists, an expanded view of bioterrorism threats, and a stronger public health infrastructure are needed to reduce the growing risk that new advances in the life sciences and related technologies will be used to create novel biological weapons or misused by careless individuals, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.

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Overcoming Challenges in Transporting Research Animals

An interagency group should be established to coordinate the complex patchwork of federal regulations governing the transport of laboratory animals, says a new National Research Council report. Steps also should be taken to ensure the availability of safe, reliable air and ground shipment for research animals. The report offers science-based guidelines for humane transportation.

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Transportation


Critical Issues in Transportation Highlighted

The United States has made massive investments in building and operating transportation facilities and services, but increased passenger travel and global trade are pushing the transportation sector to its limits, according to "Critical Issues in Transportation," the latest publication in a series by the National Academies' Transportation Research Board. Challenges include road congestion, lack of funding, and aging infrastructure.

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Events and Open Meetings


MEETING: Committee on Environmental Stewardship for the Exploration and Study of Subglacial Environments

The Committee on Principles of Environmental Stewardship for the Exploration and Study of Subglacial Environments will meet February 13-14 at the Academies' Keck Center in Washington DC. Open sessions on both days will include discussions of the biology, genomics, microbiology, limnology, and biogeochemistry of subglacial lakes, the technology for reaching and sampling them, and environmental regulations and treaties. A draft agenda is posted at the accompanying link. If you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information please contact Rachael Shiflett, by e-mail at <rshiflett@nas.edu> or by telephone at 202 334 3479.

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MEETING: Committee to Assess the Performance of Surface and Subsurface Engineered Barriers

The Committee to Assess the Performance of Surface and Subsurface Engineered Barriers for the containment of radioactive waste will meet February 14-15 at the Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine CA. The open session on the 14th will include visits to the McColl Superfund Site and the Puente Hills Landfill. A draft agenda is posted at the accompanying link. If you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information please contact Jared Eno, by email at <jeno@nas.edu> or by telephone at 202 334 1912.

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MEETING: Committee on Colorado River Hydrology

The Committee on Colorado River Hydrology will meet February 16 in Tucson AZ. The study's overarching objective is to help produce an improved hydrological baseline for use in support of water project operations and water resources management decisions (e.g., storage operations and diversions) across the Colorado River basin and other regions of the western US, especially during periods of extended drought. A draft agenda will be posted at the accompanying link. If you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information please contact Dorothy Weir, by email at <dweir@nas.edu> or by telephone at 202 334 3856.

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MEETING: Committee on Analysis of Global Change Assessments

The Committee on Analysis of Global Change Assessments will meet February 27-28 at the Academies' Keck Center in Washington DC. Open sessions, including discussions of lessons learned from past assessments, will be held both days; a draft agenda is posted at the accompanying link. If you would like to attend the sessions of this meeting that are open to the public or need more information please contact Rachael Shiflett, by e-mail at <rshiflett@nas.edu> or by telephone at 202 334 3479.

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AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN: Nominations Sought for 2006 Communication Awards

The National Academies have begun accepting nominations for the 2006 National Academies Communication Awards, which recognize excellence in reporting and communicating science, engineering, and medicine to the public during 2005. Three $20,000 prizes will be awarded to a book author; print or online journalist; and a producer or reporter in television or radio. Nominations must be completed online no later than April 7.

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